Gift for the Darkness
by SardonicRequest
Summary: The dark, surreal and strange world of the adults is at war. The age of Cyclonia has come, and the Sky Knights desperately resist. This war is left to their children, who bloom in the innocence of youth, only to be corrupted by those they trust.
1. Chapter 1

A/N- To Kat, for inspiration! To readers – I'm sorry if things are a little confusing in this chapter, but I want you to get to know the characters that I made for it. Shouldn't be too much more to endure, keep reading! All shall be clear in time!

Yes, I know Gift for the Darkness is from Lord of The Flies; I just love it so much!

* * *

The purple hue of the mist settled on the mossy green banks of river Wildemere. The banks gave way, and burst. Wildemere Park lay atop a sloping hill, an unsuspecting victim of the terrible storm, and spectator to the tragedies that unfolded within its cold stone walls.

A momentous flash of pervading light cast its sinister spell over the grounds, and the striking face of Rook Sinclair was illuminated briefly as he stood by the window which held a spectacular view of the river, flowing through the vast grounds as it ran free from the confinement of the banks.

The rain drummed down onto the roof like millions of heavy lead pellets, dropped simultaneously from the expansive shades of inky blue and murky purple, which had previously been called the sky. His thoughts twisted around his head as a voice was a day of reckoning, so Rook thought. As the skies themselves burst open, so did the protective world that had hidden away his unborn child.

Bloodcurdling screams echoed from the far distant halls, but Rook was merely nonchalant and impatient. He cocked an eyebrow in distaste as the river flowed over the grounds, a small worried sneer spreading across his sharp features.

He stood tall and scrutinized the sinister dark sky; lacing his fingers together he contemplated the life of his child and all that would follow. He had never found time to honour the gods, but hearing his wife's anguished sobs, he offered a small request for the life of his heir - His son.

His thoughts were interrupted as the door behind him, was shakily pushed open. The footman shuffled into the room with as much urgency as his vastly over proportioned body would allow him. Rook regarded him with some amusement and turned to face him, leaning against the wall casually.

The footman bowed hastily and mopped his red face, chattering random gibberish. Rook growled exasperatedly and pushed past the dithering man. He stalked through the long, cold hallways and ignored the knowing and yet impassive stares of his ancestor's portraits. Their eyes did not follow him, but he felt the expectation of family burning into his back.

Filled with fervent determination, Rook shook his head and once again drew back his wandering mind. Doubt ate at his thoughts like a ravenous beast, but he disregarded it and quickened his pace, almost matching the beat to his racing heart.

* * *

Eva watched the door apprehensively; her eyes wide and full of dread. She clutched her children close to her chest and softly sighed. Her overwhelming need to rest was chased into oblivion by her anxiety.

Air rushed into her lungs as the door swung open with a resounding creak. All time seemed to linger and ooze into that one moment, where she gave the appearance of a cornered, hunted and injured deer, caught and entranced in the flash of enclosing lights.

She stared into Rook's cold, detached and bitter yellow eyes, her expression saying all of the words she wished she could say. A lump, growing in her throat rapidly hindered her from speaking to him, but meekly she admitted to herself that they barely spoke at all.

Carefully, she watched him cross the threshold, his eyes blazing like pits of despair from the depths of Hell. His stony face curled into a smirk as he stood beside her, pride radiating from his person…

It was a nightmarish decision, Eva concluded to herself, but to save her children from the intensity of their father's scorn risks had to be taken…

Eva picked up the boy, whose deep purple eyes had been hidden under a blanket of skin and lashes, and presented him to Rook. Shuddering at the audacity she had conjured up from seemingly nowhere, Eva disguised this moment of weakness as a shivering sigh of delight, knowing that her husband now had his 'firstborn' son, and that her daughter would never receive any attention from him.

Unwillingly, Eva passed her daughter to a waiting maid, and fell into a deep, troubled and perturbed sleep.

* * *

Rook grinned down at his son, who was shifting blearily in his father's grip. His entire face, although sinister and scornful, beamed as he made a motion towards the footman.

The footman advanced carefully, uncomfortable in this area of the house in which he had never been permitted. Rook turned to him, and leaned forwards.

'Inform the Cyclonian guard I wish to land and present my son to Master Cyclonis.'

Bemused, the footman hurried out of the room and the sound of his feet slapping against the hard flagstones brought a scathing smirk to Rook's lips.

Warily, he lifted his heir's head, scrutinizing the boy's face. Finally, with decided pomp he announced to the room his son.

'Snipe.'

* * *

A/n: - Alrighty then! Chapter one is FINISHED! Woo! I hope you liked reading it, I hope you aren't bothered by OCs (because that normally puts me off reading fics – hypocritical much?) Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, because I was evading revision for exams while writing it. I'm so smart. Lmfao.  
Bye! I'll get next chapter up as soon as possible!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: - I'm so lazy! Sorry this took so long!

* * *

The air was thick with the terrible implication of apprehension. The terra itself was barren, nothing but a wasteland, with no fertile soil, and no crystal mines. No one knew the reason behind this terra, it was just there.

However, it had presence, and most of all, it held power.

* * *

His detached control, his cool demeanor and the raw intensity of his fixed attention was enough to force obliging daggers from the hands of unwilling enemies to the floor.

The empire had been taken by slaughter of hope. The cold depths of Master Cyclonis' heart did not contain mercy for those who defied him, and the hoards of damned souls had fallen. He had been wise enough to see…to know…

Raising his hands in aggravation, Master Cyclonis pulled the slip of yellowed blueprint from underneath a mountain of incomplete diagrams.

His train of thought escaped him, just as the hiss of frustration burst from his crooked lips.

The offending blueprint was returned to its original position and Master Cyclonis was left alone. Alone in his mind, where every bad decision…every shame fil-…

No, he wouldn't let himself be conquered so easily. Snatching the blueprint again his head became preoccupied…the potential...the sheer magni-

For the second time his thoughts were interrupted. The loud creak of the heavy doors being urged forward, and the swift movements of his Commander roused the Master from his previous engagements.

The small bundle, half concealed by the safety of the Commander's arms, and coupled with the muted azure crystals that surrounded the Throne Room seized Master Cyclonis' attention, and the blueprint once again was discarded thoughtlessly.

The elder man advanced. The prospect was Cyclonia's future commander.

Yes, this future looked bleak.

He welcomed it.

* * *

A/N – I'm so sorry this chapter was so short  I'm going through writer's block atm, which is awful. Oh well, some old Master Cyclonis stuff. I'm adamant that the 'mother' was actually a man, but we'll see. I have a back-up plan just in case LOL.

Love my reviewers, thank you all so much for the lovely reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

A/n: - Ahh! I'm so sorry! I told you I was lazy! And I was so uninspired. Bad motivation makes me angry!

The brilliant rays of lively yellow light soaked through the gauzy white curtains. A slow, lazy wind was rippling through the grass. As a bird chanted a strange melody it pierced the air, its shrill voice somehow satisfying Eva's need for tranquillity.

As she stood at the window, a fresh wave of green rolled over the swollen hills, which only contributed to her dream-like state.

She was taking the moment off, relieving her eyes of the steady, adoring gaze she had been bestowing upon her children.

It didn't take long for Eva's train of thought to come crashing back to reality. As to be expected, an irritated sob burst from the crib, rousing Eva from the extent of her daydreaming.

Leaning carefully over the cradle, she critically examined what could have caused her child's distress, reassuring her over-reactive nature that indeed, nothing more sinister than a nappy change or a hunger pang could have harmed them.

A soft smile graced her features as her son's face lit up when he saw his mother. His little arms reached up as he wiggled, swaying his sleeping sister who protested promptly.

Eva smiled at their antics; she would never be too tired to watch them, over the short time they had been together, every small gesture they had made in their private and extremely busy lives had amused her. Snipe would never succumb to his physical drowsiness, but instead would continue in bothering Ravess until she decided to practise 'self-defence' and attack him.

Of course Eva never felt the need to step in, because by the time Ravess would try to hurt him, Snipe was already completely intrigued in something else. Her son's short attention span had saved him from many a small infuriated fist.

Reaching out, Eva cradled Snipe in the crook of her arms, his tiny hands clutching at hers, desperate for some new amusement to satisfy his fragile concentration.

No longer surprised by his sturdy weight, she retired to the rocking chair beside the window, giggling softly at his feeble but strong-willed attempts to see outside.

Aiding him in his next conquest, Eva stood up and re-adjusted him in her arms. Her movement could not have been met with more enthusiasm. Snipe practically bounced out of his mother's clutches, before she gave a small shriek and tightened her grip on him.

It was strange how those few seconds could change her plans. Eva returned to the rocking chair, ignoring his little protests ruefully. His face contorted somewhat, before he idly engaged himself with playing with her hair.

At this point, her mind wandered a little. Snipe's obvious playful nature contrasted greatly with the powerful title his father had planned out for him. Eva wondered how long she could hide the fact that Snipe was not Rook's firstborn.

It seemed obvious to her, but perhaps that was a maternal issue. Ravess already as a small infant had a natural, even arrogant sense of superiority. How long would it be until her proud Rook noticed this? He was not, under any means, extremely intelligent, but surely he had some length of aptitude to live by.

Eva wasn't even sure why it mattered so much, but Rook had been adamant. It was traditional…

Naturally, in her own instinct, Eva had lied. Lied…

…to Rook.

It didn't make sense, but all she wanted was his happiness, even if it meant deceiving him.

Once again, her attention was made rapt by the ever-eager Snipe. His head excitedly bobbed against her chest, his small fists waved and his mouth opened and closed, releasing a flurry of keen babble.

Following his absorbed gaze, Eva laughed.

A small yellow butterfly had fluttered into the nursery and was dancing around the room.

It was ironic that it seemed as desperate to escape as she was.

A/n: - **Very important notice! - I keep forgetting to mention! The Dark Ace (The one we ALL know from the show) WILL be in this fic, and will play a major role! He's just won't be in it until a later time!**

My god, I am SO sorry I kept you waiting so long. I'm such a pain in the ass!

Hope you like my fluffy, cuddly update. I felt inspired for no reason in particular.

So obviously it has time-skipped a little bit, I'm not sure how long – so let your imagination fly – because I have no idea how babies develop.

Anywho, it was cute until I added that big dark undertone at the end.

Once again, thanks to my reviewers for having patience with my scarce updates. Much love xx


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n**: There I go again, leaving eons between posts. I'm so sorry, but I honestly considered deleting this fic… But I felt inspired to write today, so you got an update. :3 Yay! I dedicate this to my lovely friends, Robyn and Shannon, who patiently read through my chapters and urge me on. :3

* * *

The molten gold sun-beams stole into every veil of slight shadow, and poured through the skies, banishing the clouds into exile. The river rushed through the park, chanting hurriedly as it bubbled into froth. Keen squeals of excitement were swallowed up by the clamour, and heard only faintly in the manor.

* * *

Observing from his study window, Rook made no effort to hide his agitation. Weather like this meant that there was no way in which any advancement could be made. The clouds were suddenly vanished, meaning that any legions of talons preparing to attack, would be too quickly detected. Due to this, Rook had incarcerated himself in the study, seeking shelter from the pervading shafts of dazzling light.

With some furtiveness, Rook raised his only salvation to his lips, and lit it. Inhaling deeply, he rubbed his temples in frustration and closed his eyes. It was a newly formed habit of his, albeit, a stupid one. His life had been fraught with so many dilemmas and difficulties, that he had found himself craving a relief. It was with great difficulty, that he refused his addiction, and indulged in it only sparsely.

On taking a break from examining a map, he had reclined near the window, frowning in scorn, a scowl which reached his eyes. After they adjusted to the overwhelming brightness, he discovered two small silhouettes playing on the banks of the river. Feeling a sense of new-found anger rising within him, he scanned with seeming calmness for their mother, and located her almost immediately.

* * *

Dutifully watching from the cool shade that the base of the Elm tree provided for her, Eva rested her hands on the delicate, swollen rise on her abdomen with caring attentiveness. The subtle wind caressed her face and dismissed the scorching heat of the day. It kissed through the many leaves, creating a beautiful rustling wave of green that moved from tree to tree.

The calm breeze was a contrast to the river, as it only urged it on further. The children laughed and ran beside it, but always under the cautious eyes of their mother, whose anxiety would engulf them on occasion.

They knew this all too well, and decided that a little fun definitely wasn't worth the hassle, so they continued to stay back, sure-footed on the dried grass.

After the five years they had lived together, Eva had seen no drastic change in their personalities or mannerisms. Snipe remained perpetually curious throughout the day, and Ravess had immediately taken and continued the role of leader. She was as equally bossy, as Snipe was inquisitive.

As he rarely seen them together, Rook had never noticed the command Ravess had over her brother. If she wanted to do something, Snipe would follow, regardless of what he had actually wished to do. This, inevitably, had caused a few disagreements, resulting in a concerned Eva reprimanding Ravess to stop terrorizing her brother.

However, this did not make Rook an inattentive parent; he was, after all, planning their futures. It did stop him at some degree, from seeing them very often, as his dedication to Cyclonia was demanding. Eva was eternally grateful to him for ensuring a healthy life for both. Not only was he providing for the first two, but now they'd made the decision to have another. Preparations to welcome the new arrival were to begin very shortly, which was obvious to tell at her swollen body. She was glad that Ravess and Snipe were as excited as herself, the prospect of having someone new to control would appeal to Ravess greatly, and as for Snipe, Eva figured that a new baby would interest him… for at least a week.

Smiling with true adoration, she called the two back from the riverbank and clasped their tiny hands while walking to the house at a leisurely pace, enjoying the combination of the warm sun and relief from the wind.

* * *

Stalking across the study in a few short strides, Rook pushed the door open with unnecessary harshness and continued in his imperative manner down the corridor. The typical dimness through the house had been discarded, and all curtains were thrown back from their windows, which hung open, letting both the sweltering heat and chilling breeze into the house.

He grunted in infuriation, finding it near impossible to escape the knowledge of his misfortune. Not only was he stuck here until the maddening weather turned, but he was also constantly reminded of it in every way – something he did not appreciate.

Exasperated beyond return, he persisted with the task on hand and hurried on, trying to ignore the sting as the blinding sun hit his eyes. While ignoring the stares he received from prying servants, he threw open the heavy front doors and strode out onto the lawn with purpose.

His eyes flashed dangerously with anger on intercepting his wife. She stopped on seeing him, already sensing that something was wrong. Walking forward still, he stopped beside her, moving Snipe around to the other side. Placing his hand on the small of her back he motioned for them to walk on, while talking in a calm, languid tone.

'Eva…' He started slowly, 'Did you really think this through…?'

The sentence sound simple enough, but his tone of voice suggested controlled anger. Naturally, Eva shrank back and avoided his eye, knowing that she had enraged him in some way. Thankfully, she didn't have to answer, for Rook did.

He lapsed in a lecture, his voice contained as not to frighten his children. He made a request that she should not leave the house again unattended, but Eva was adamant that it was more of a demand. He then turned to her, his face unusually ashen. His voice became slightly hoarse as he stared into her face. The rasp so unlike his normal, even tone, begged her never to let his children near the river again.

* * *

A/N: Took me a strangely long time to write the ending, something wasn't working right. Please review, it makes me very happy :)


	5. Chapter 5

A/n: Oh my, two updates in two days? You lucky sods! Dedication is to Leah, and Jill. Two people with no relation other than stupendous amounts of encouragement and help they bestow on me. Love you guys.

* * *

The high-backed chairs of dark, coarse leather were glazed only by dim artificial light. The murky, green lamps threw an ethereal, damp and eerie glow over the furniture, making two small bodies shrink back in alarm. The heavy curtains were pulled roughly over the window, allowing only a few hazy rays of gold to faze through. The gloomy room was further thrown into shadows, as it was obscured by a small misty cloud, rising from an indistinct object on the desk.

* * *

Sitting behind his desk seemed a little distant; he stood up with some awkwardness and beckoned his expected guests inside. He fumbled behind the curtain for some time and pushed the window open, hoping to clear the smoke out.

They stared at him expectantly, although he was to provide some entertainment for them. He stared back for some time, taken aback at their inane ability to watch intently without interruption, or embarrassment.

It was some time before he realised the obvious discomfort of one. His son was looking increasingly anxious and embarrassed, his head was tilted towards the floor – something which he seemed to find extremely interesting, as his eyes were determined not to find his fathers.

The girl, however, was not so easily swayed. She continued to search his face, her eyes, so alike his own, were huge and out of place in her small, pointed face. On perceiving nothing interesting in his appearance, she began to scrutinise the room, and finally settled that the armchair, however threatening it might seem, would be the best place to resume her investigations.

Her brother followed suit, his expression still red and clumsy. Together they sat in one armchair and looked rather out of place. Rook watched with some amusement, but they still seemed grave, almost demanding an explanation for today's irregularity through their glances.

He opened his mouth to speak after pondering for some time on how exactly to talk to a child, only to be beaten to it by Ravess.

She spoke with a tone bordering on impertinence, using the question as if it were an extremely dangerous weapon. Her brother again followed her example, not through speaking, but by finally raising his imploring eyes to his father.

It was inevitable, that they would want to know what was going on. They had been held back from seeing their mother all day, and had not had a reasonable explanation from anyone. Without their favourite companion, they'd been bored until about five minutes ago – When they had been summoned to their father.

Rook faltered a little, unsure of what Eva had actually told them about children. In any case, he was quite sure she hadn't explained _childbirth_. Assured that this would not need to be explained for many years, Rook grimaced slightly before explaining that she had left for only some time, and would be back before they knew it.

Now unsure of what to do, it struck Rook quite suddenly that this was entirely his own fault. His own inexperience with children held him back, and he wasn't quite comfortable being alone with them as they fidgeted, argued and whined constantly…

… In his opinion anyway.

Seeing such solemn children unnerved him, their behaviour was so reserved that Rook was inclined to believe Eva had told them to act like this when faced with their father.

* * *

It was with some hesitation and uneasiness that Rook had kept Ravess and Snipe in his study, after getting over their initial apprehension they had proved to be nothing short of a nightmare.

Half expecting one of them to start swinging off the lamps, he finally decided that they had gone too far. Rubbing his forehead in irritation he grunted lowly and walked out the door.

He had been under some serious miscalculation that a little bonding would have done him good, but now all he felt was exerted and annoyed. Five year olds were worse than trainee talons, it was impossible to shout at them without feeling some sort of sickening remorse.

After searching for some time, he found a servant and ordered her to his study, she was then to take Ravess and Snipe to their nursery. Instead of following her back to his study, he lingered in the corridor and leant against the wall, pushing his hair back from his face in aggravation.

Deciding, at last, with some relief, he thought that he would leave their upbringing to his wife, who in some manner unbeknownst to him was able to deal with unruly children.

He pushed himself off the wall, and set off in serious contemplation. He was going to find Eva, and tell her to check their behaviour, as he could not afford them to grow up so.

He would, however, have to wait out his third child's arrival first, so the urgency of the matter was disregarded.

* * *

A/n: Kill me. D: I have to stop writing Rook, it's too _hard_.


End file.
